Weston City Council has authorized a limited change in how the city applies building and floodplain standards while homeowners repair damage from the July 21 flood.
In an official flood-recovery update, the city said council approved a motion authorizing the Weston Code Enforcement Officer to relax relevant International Building Code and Flood Plain Ordinance standards so HVAC systems may be reinstalled in home basements. The motion still requires outside HVAC units to be elevated at or above applicable floodplain requirements.
What homeowners still need to do
The action does not remove the permit process. The city says building permits remain required for work that ordinarily needs one. Permit fees tied to flood recovery remain waived, but homeowners must still obtain the applicable permit before proceeding.
The announcement does not publish a blanket suspension of building or floodplain rules. It also does not specify how long the flexibility will remain in place, which properties qualify, what documentation an applicant must provide or whether any inspection steps have changed.
The adopted motion specifically addresses HVAC systems. An earlier Weston Democrat report described a broader council discussion involving furnaces and water heaters, but the city's new announcement does not state that it created a separate water-heater exception.
Residents should contact Weston Code Enforcement before reinstalling equipment rather than assume a project is exempt from review. The City of Weston's main office number is 304-269-6141.
What changed
At council's September 8 meeting, city officials had said they planned to examine possible options and warned that floodplain rules were connected to Weston's participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. No amendment or waiver had been adopted at that meeting.
The later special-session action changes that status for the HVAC work described in the city's motion. It gives the code officer authority to provide the stated flexibility while retaining permits and the elevation requirement for outside units.
Updated September 11: This article now reflects the city's announcement that council approved limited HVAC flexibility after the earlier review.